Why the 49ers Should've Held Keenan Allen Out Against the Cowboys

The 49ers should've followed the Jaguars' example.

Oct 11, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Indianapolis Colts Keenan Allen (10) catches a pass for 9 yards during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Getting down the San Francisco 49ers' offense is extremely difficult. Yet newly acquired receiver Keenan Allen must do it in less than a week.

This is the brutal aspect of the NFL for players who are traded, especially wide receivers. However, for Allen, learning the complicated playbook isn't even the most brutal part.

It's playing the entire season without a Bye Week. The Indianapolis Colts didn't have theirs yet, and now that Allen is with the 49ers, who already did, he won't get to have a week off in 2026.

He will play in every game starting Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, which is the wrong decision. The 49ers should've held Allen out against the Cowboys.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are doing it with their newly acquired players, Jordan Davis and Jessie Bates, because they haven't had a Bye Week yet. It's a wise move.

Those two players are young, too. Yet the Jaguars don't care. They aren't taking any chances. They want to give these guys the rest they deserve so they can be at their best afterward.

That is exactly what the 49ers need to follow, especially because Allen is older. He has an injury history. In fact, he missed Week 4 with a groin injury.

Nov 8, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen (10) warms up before a game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

His body is bound to break down at some point. It should practically be expected. Holding him out against the Cowboys will help keep him fresher for the critical late-season push.

Not to mention that it gives him more time to learn the 49ers' complex offense. The 49ers need to put Allen in a position to be successful, and sitting him against Dallas does that.

But they probably view Week 4 as his Bye Week. Plus, they never sat out Emmanuel Sanders in 2019. He never had a Bye Week that year, and he was only a couple of years younger than Allen.

However, Sanders was a more crucial player to the 49ers that year than Allen is to them now. If the Niners don't sit out Allen on Sunday, then perhaps they'll consider it later in the season.

Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers would be the perfect time to do it. It's a Thursday night game, which places extra stress on older players.

The Chargers are also dead in the water. They can afford to hold Allen out of that game with the playoffs a few weeks away.

Instead, they will be asking a 34-year-old player with a fairly extensive injury history to stay healthy and effective for an entire season without a Bye Week.

Good luck.

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